Guy wire rust inhibitor applicator

ABSTRACT

A self-contained wheeled carriage adapted to be applied to and to be supported by an inclined wire such as an inclined guy-wire used in supporting a radio or television broadcast tower. The carriage is provided with self-contained means for causing it to climb the inclined wire and descend at a controlled rate of speed. The power unit for the carriage and other units are supported on a platform suspended from the carriage by a pendulum arm which maintains the platform substantially horizontal during the ascent and descent on the guy-wire. The units carried by the platform may include containers for carrying supplies of the substances used in the treating operations.

United States Patent Dreve, Jr. 5] May 16, 1972 [54] GUY WIRE RUST INHIBITOR 1,615,657 1/1927 Schwafel ..1s1 12 APPLICATOR Primary Examiner-John P. McIntosh [72] Inventor: Wendel E. Dreve, Jr., 1592 College Hill A"0mey Mahoney,Millergzstebens Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43221 22 Filed: Feb. 11, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT App]. No.: 10,450

A self-contained wheeled carriage adapted to be applied to and to be supported by an inclined wire such as an inclined guy-wire used in supporting a radio or television broadcast tower. The carriage is provided with self-contained means for causing it to climb the inclined wire and descend at a controlled rate of speed. The power unit for the carriage and other units are supported on a platform suspended from the carriage by a pendulum arm which maintains the platform substantially horizontal during the ascent and descent on the guy-wire. The units carried by the platform may include containers for carrying supplies of the substances used in the treating operations.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEnnmsmz 3.662.707

SHEET 1 OF 3 INVENIUR.

WENDEL E, DREVE. JR.

1B ;-MAHONEY & MI LLER ll Q m nun/M ATTORNEYS PHENTED I M 3.662.707

I N VliN"! OR.

WENDEL' E. DREVE. JR.

BY-MAHONEY & MILLER BY%./Mz

ATTORNEYS WENDEL E. DREVE. JR.

I BY-MAHONEY & MlLLER ATTORNEYS GUY WIRE RUST INHIBITOR APPLICATOR The device of this invention is designed to climb and descend an inclined cable and to inspect and clean the cable as well as apply a treating substance thereto. The primary field of application of this device is the maintenance of guy wires which support towers, such as radio and television broadcast towers, which require at least annual inspection, cleaning and application of a preservative. It has been necessary in the past for a man to climb the tower and descend each guy wire to manually accomplish the necessary inspection, cleaning and preserving operations. This results in an excessive amount of time being required to complete a single tower inspection and treatment, since the tower will usually have several guy wires. Thus, the cost not only is excessive, but there is excessive risk on the part of the man involved in the operations.

The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by a self-contained, self-driven unit which will climb the guy-wire and descend at a controlled rate and during that traverse will perform the necessary operations.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention and in these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevational view showing a carriage device according to my invention disposed on a guy wire.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the device.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device taken at the position indicated by the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of FIG. 2.

With detailed reference to the drawings, it will be noted that the device of this invention consists of a wheeled carriage 11 which is adapted to operate on an inclined wire W, a pendulum-like suspending arm 12 pivotally supported by the carriage in dependent position relative thereto, and a platform 13 rigidly supported from the lower end of the arm 12. The upper arm pivot is disposed transversely of the vertical plane in which the wire W is located. This wire is usually a guy-wire which helps support a vertical tower indicated at T. The guywire is usually arranged at an angle of about sixty degrees relative to the ground or the horizontal. However, my device is not limited in its operation to a wire disposed at this specific angle.

The carriage 11 comprises an elongated frame 16 having an intermediate depending portion 17. A grooved wheel or roller 18 is mounted on the one end of the frame 16, which will be the upper end, when the carriage is on the guy wire W, and on the other end of the frame a grooved wheel or roller 19 is mounted, these rollers being keyed on the respective shafts 20 and 21 which extend transversely through the frame 16 and bearings carried thereby. A third grooved wheel or roller 22 is keyed on a shaft 23 which is carried by the depending portion 17 of the frame. When the carriage 11 is mounted on the guy wire W, the two longitudinally spaced rollers 20 and 21 will rest on the top side of the guy wire and the intermediate lower roller 22 will engage the under side thereof, it being noted that the three rollers are in a common vertical plane at one side of the frame 16. All of the wire-engaging rollers, wheels or pulleys 18, 19 and 22 are positively driven by a chain and sprocket drive in a manner to be described.

As indicated, the shafts 20, 23 and 21 extend inwardly through the frame member and on their inner ends they have the sprockets 18a, 22a and 19a keyed on their respective inner ends. A sprocket chain 25 drives the sprocket 18a from a driven sprocket 14a which is keyed on the shaft that serves as the upper arm pivot 14 for the arm 12 and the sprocket is located close to the inner end of the shaft. This shaft 14 extends from the upper end of the arm 12 laterally outwardly through the frame 16 and has keyed on its outer end a sprocket 14b which is driven by a sprocket chain 26. The chain 25 is directed by a pair of idler sprockets 27 and 28, carried by the frame 16 adjacent the extension 17, into cooperation with the sprocket 220 so as to drive this latter sprocket also. The other sprocket 19a is driven by a sprocket chain 29 from a sprocket 14c keyed on the inner end of the shaft 14.

Thus, all the rollers 18, 22 and 19 are positively driven by the chain 26 which passes down to the platform 13 in a vertical place spaced from and parallel to the arm 12. The arm can pivot about the axis of the shaft 14 without interferring with the drive to the various wire-engaging wheels, rollers or pulleys 22, 19, and 18.

As indicated, the lower end of the arm-12 is rigidly connected to the platform 13. At this lower end, a transverse shaft 15 is rotatably carried in bearing brackets 30 and 31 disposed adjacent opposite side edges of the platform 13. The platform 13 carries a power unit 32, preferably in the form of an internal combustion engine. This unit drives, through a belt drive 33, a transverse shaft 34 rotatably mounted in spaced bearing brackets 35 and 36, carried by the platform 13, in-parallel relationship to the shaft 15. The shaft 34 drives the shaft 15 through a chain and sprocket drive 37. The shaft 34 drives the shaft 15 through a chain and sprocket drive 37. The shaft 15 has keyed thereon the sprocket 15a which drives the sprocket chain 26 that extends vertically along the arm 12.

A gasoline tank may be located on the platform 13 in close proximity to the engine 32 and may be connected thereto by the fuel line 41.

The shaft 15 extends through the arm 12 and drives a clutch 42 of the one-way rachet type such as the commercially available one known as a Sprague" clutch. A chain and sprocket drive 43 from the shaft 15 may drive a pump 44 which is mounted on the platform 13 in cooperation with a tank 45 which may contain a liquid rust inhibitor. The pump 44 will be provided with a pressure line 46 which leads upwardly along the arm 12 toward the carriage 1 1. The shaft 15, through a chain and sprocket drive arrangement 47, may also be connected to a speed-control brake unit of the internal torque type. Adjacent the liquid tank 45, a tank 48 may be provided for propane gas which may be used in the guy-wire treating operation and which is connected to the carriage 11 by a line 49 extending upwardly along the arm 12.

Thus, I have described various units carried by the platform 13 and connected to the carriage 11. Other units may be provided on the platform. For example, electronic units used in electrically inspecting the guy-wire. These units are so dispersed around the platform 13 that the platform is substantially balanced about the axis of the arm 12.

A rust-inhibitor applicator may be provided at the upper end of the carriage 11 being mounted on the upper end of the frame 16 thereof by a rigid arm 51. This applicator will be of any suitable form such as a split sleeve which will slip over the wire W and will have suitable means for receiving the inhibitor in liquid form from the line 46 and apply it to the wire. A scale-removing burner 52 may be provided at the lower end of the carriage 11 on the frame 16 for embracing the wire and will receive its fuel through the line 49. The treating of the wire W will occur on the descent of the carriage 11 therealong and consequently the burner 52 will be in a leading position relative to the applicator 55.

In operation, the wheeled carriage 11 will be mounted on the wire W adjacent its lower anchored end with the platform 13 suspended therefrom by the arm 12. The engine 32 is started and the wheels 18, 19 and 22 are positively driven so that the carriage will climb the inclined guy-wire. The one-way clutch 42 will normally permit rotation of the shaft 15 in the driving direction to cause the carriage to climb the wire W without operating the pump 44 or the brake 50. When the carriage reaches the upper end of the wire, control means is provided for interrupting the drive to the wheels of the carriage to permit descent of the carriage 11 along the wire W which automatically engage the clutch 42 to drive the pump 44 and actuate the brake unit 50 to control the rate of descent of the carriage.

The control means 60 comprises a feeler fork 61 which straddles the wire W ahead of the upper end of the carriage, being'carried by a rod 62 at the forward downwardly inclined and thereof. As the carriage moves upwardly, the fork will strike a stationary object at the upper end of the wire and continued forward movement of the carriage will pivot the triangular plate 63 rearwardly and downwardly, this plate being pivoted at 64 to the frame member 16 of the carriage. Rearward and downward pivoting of the plate 63 moves a pivotally connected rod 65 downwardly to swing a second triangular plate 66 downwardly, this plate being pivoted at 67 to the arm 12 adjacent its lower end. Pivoting of this plate downwardly pushes on a connected rod68 to swing the actuating arm 69 forwardly which disengages a beyond-center spring-type belttensioning unit 70. When the unit 70 is moved in either direction beyond center, it tends to stay in that position. This unit 70, when released, interrupts the drive to the shaft 34 and consequently, the shaft 15. Reverse rotation of the shaft will then occur, because of the downward movement of the carriage on the wire W by gravity, through the drive chain 26, and the clutch 42 will be automatically engaged by rotation of the shaft 15 in the reverse direction to drive the pump 44 and actuate the brake 50 to control the speed of descent of the carriage.

It will be apparent from the above description that this invention provides for positive movement of the carriage upwardly along the inclined guy wire with the various units supported on a platform suspended therefrom in such a manner that the platform will remain horizontal regardless of the inclination of the wire. The positive drive for the wheeled carriage will function during upward movement of the carriage and will be automatically interrupted when the carriage reaches the desired extent of its upward movement. Then the carriage will back-down the guy wire automatically, with the speed of its descent along the wire being controlled automatically. At the same time, selected wire treating units, such as the rust-inhibitor applicator, will be actuated automatically.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is:

l. A device of the type described for ascending and descending an inclined wire or the like comprising:

a wheeled carriage having wheels for engaging the wire;

a supporting platform below the wheeled carriage carrying a unit for treating the wire and means for driving said treating unit during descent of the carriage including a oneway clutch connected to said carriage wheels and engagable during descent;

a pendulum-type means for suspending the platform from the carriage so that the platform will remain substantially horizontal regardless of the inclination of the wire, said pendulum-type means including an arm pivoted at its upper end to said carriage about a transverse axis for movement in the direction of the vertical plane of the wire in which the carriage is mounted and rigidly connected at its lower end to said platform; and

a power unit on the platform having driving means connected to the wheels of said carriage by means including a chain and sprocket drive extending along said arm and including a sprocket having its axis coinciding with the pivot axis at the upper end of said arm, means for interrupting the driving means from said power unit including control mechanism having means supported on the carriage and extending therefrom for engaging an object along the wire as it advances upwardly thereon for disengagement of the drive from said power unit.

2. A device according to claim 1 including a braking unit connected to said wheels for braking descent of the carriage upon engagement of said clutch.

3. A device according to claim 2 in which said driving means includes a belt drive having a belt-tensioning and releasing unit cooperating therewith, and a beyond-center spring-type unit for controlling said unit which is activated by said control mechanism. 

1. A device of the type described for ascending and descending an inclined wire or the like comprising: a wheeled carriage having wheels for engaging the wire; a supporting platform below the wheeled carriage carrying a unit for treating the wire and means for driving said treatinG unit during descent of the carriage including a one-way clutch connected to said carriage wheels and engagable during descent; a pendulum-type means for suspending the platform from the carriage so that the platform will remain substantially horizontal regardless of the inclination of the wire, said pendulum-type means including an arm pivoted at its upper end to said carriage about a transverse axis for movement in the direction of the vertical plane of the wire in which the carriage is mounted and rigidly connected at its lower end to said platform; and a power unit on the platform having driving means connected to the wheels of said carriage by means including a chain and sprocket drive extending along said arm and including a sprocket having its axis coinciding with the pivot axis at the upper end of said arm, means for interrupting the driving means from said power unit including control mechanism having means supported on the carriage and extending therefrom for engaging an object along the wire as it advances upwardly thereon for disengagement of the drive from said power unit.
 2. A device according to claim 1 including a braking unit connected to said wheels for braking descent of the carriage upon engagement of said clutch.
 3. A device according to claim 2 in which said driving means includes a belt drive having a belt-tensioning and releasing unit cooperating therewith, and a beyond-center spring-type unit for controlling said unit which is activated by said control mechanism. 